There is no bait and switch. We are SUPPOSED to be a place where the love of God is shed abroad. (Beloved, let us love one another.)
A church is to practice the love of Christ and to preach the gospel of Christ.
What is bait and switch would be anyplace where they proclaim themselves Christian, and a person arrives who is NOT greeted, who is NOT made to feel welcome, who is NOT introduced to the gospel in every conceivable manner at the church's disposition.
As Marlowe says, there are some pretty "dour" places out there.....grim people, grim relating, grim outlook, grim proclamation, and grim grimmaces.
Please refer all future questions to the re-reading of posts 270, 427, 412, 408, and 403. I'm not interested in repeating myself.
Yes, if you really read what I said, there IS bait and switch. And yes, we are supposed to love one another and explain God's love - for that is PART of the gospel. But that isn't what I showed to be the bait and switch part.
A church is to practice the love of Christ and to preach the gospel of Christ.
Exactly. The gospel of Christ is about His love saving the poor, wretched sinners who are lost. If a church service does not explain what it means to be lost to God - to be unable to be in His presence, to understand how evil our sin is, then they really cannot grasp His love - for they will see the love of God in man's eyes, not God's. There is no reason to really and truly repent. On the other hand, it is also wrong to preach fire and brimstone without speaking of His love. Both are wrong.
What is bait and switch would be anyplace where they proclaim themselves Christian, and a person arrives who is NOT greeted, who is NOT made to feel welcome, who is NOT introduced to the gospel in every conceivable manner at the church's disposition.
I don't disagree - but that was not the point. Although introducing the gospel in EVERY conceivable manner would just about require reading through the entire bible to them, for it is the ultimate presentation of the gospel in every conceivable manner for it is pure and complete. :) But it is also a bait and switch for those who call themselves Christian and don't explain what being saved FROM is as part of the salvation message.
As Marlowe says, there are some pretty "dour" places out there.....grim people, grim relating, grim outlook, grim proclamation, and grim grimmaces.
So? What does that have to do with what I have said. Again I will say that it is bait and switch if only part of the gospel is presented if they lure someone to church saying they proclaim all of it. It works both ways.
But my original point, never addressed, is that the church building is not where evangelism is supposed to be centered - it is for worship of believers (and if non-believers are there, then they may be convinced by our worship). Each believer is to be always lifting up the name of Christ Jesus to those both saved and unsaved so that His word and His truth will be heard. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of those who bring good tidings. It is not "beautiful upon the mountains are the the feet of those who drag others into the temple/tabernacle". And by promoting such seeker services where people will be comfortable has an effect on the individual believer to not evangelize the gospel, but to just "evangelize" the church service. And that is very very wrong.
Somewhere you just don't seem to be getting what I am saying.